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From: mayo@wrl.dec.com (Bob Mayo)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Multiple identities
Message-ID: <1991Jan30.040343.8882@pa.dec.com>
Date: 30 Jan 91 04:03:43 GMT
Sender: news@pa.dec.com (News)
Organization: DEC Palo Alto
Lines: 27

Pardon me if this has been discussed before -- I just stumbled onto this
group.

In order to enforce a degree of privacy in consumer transactions (such as
credit card purchases, magazine subscriptions, and the like), I'd like to
establish a separate identity.  The main purpose of this would be to thwart
the production of a lifestyle profile based upon my consumer purchases.
Two general areas of questions come up:

Mechanics:  How hard is it to set this up?  My separate identity, Joe
Anonymous, couldn't get a credit card without lying, but he might be
able to get a debit VISA card backed by a cash deposit.  By
registering Joe Anonymous as a business with the county (a $30 or less
proposition), Joe could get his own bank account for checks and ATM
cards.  Sure, the correlation between Joe Anonymous and myself would be
in the public record, but I doubt anybody would bother to check unless Joe
started doing something illegal or annoying.

Legality:  Are there any laws that make establishing a separate identity
illegal?  Of course Joe would have to steer clear of any sort of lying on
credit applications and such.  But if I tell Safeway or Radio Shack that
my name is Joe Anonymous, can I run into any problems?  What happens if
Joe signs legal contracts like car rental agreements?  What if Joe purchases
a plane ticket and then needs a refund.  The only ID would be a document
showing that Joe Anonymous was a business.  Hmmm...

--Bob (my real name)